Healthcare’s ongoing push towards clinically integrated networks (CINs), health information exchanges (HIEs), and value-based care continues to drive consolidation across the industry. At the same time, providers need allies to help shoulder new technical and financial burdens. As a result, the purchasing power of affiliated facilities stands to reach new heights.
Group purchasing organizations (GPOs) managing the buying needs of healthcare providers help hospitals reign in some of that spending by leveraging the collective purchasing power of member facilities to negotiate savings on purchased goods and services.
About 97% of hospitals have an affiliated GPO, and research from the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) suggests that those GPOs decrease the cost of healthcare by as much as $55B each year.
Below, we list the top 10 GPOs by the number of staffed beds of their affiliated hospitals, according to Definitive Healthcare data.
| Rank | GPO name | Definitive ID | State | Number of beds | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vizient | 550059 | TX | 468,309 | Explore |
| 2 | Premier Inc | 542095 | NC | 333,069 | Explore |
| 3 | Cardinal Health | 579888 | OH | 183,041 | Explore |
| 4 | HealthTrust Performance Group (FKA HealthTrust Purchasing Group) | 542097 | TN | 166,187 | Explore |
| 5 | Cencora (FKA Amerisource Bergen) | 579887 | PA | 140,110 | Explore |
| 6 | McKesson Pharmaceutical | 579886 | CA | 135,604 | Explore |
| 7 | Premier - ASCEND | 1035086 | NC | 93,725 | Explore |
| 8 | Acurity (FKA GNYHA Services - Greater New York Hospital Association) | 542102 | NY | 43,155 | Explore |
| 9 | Childrens Hospital Association (FKA Child Health Corporation of America) | 542093 | KS | 35,944 | Explore |
| 10 | Sourcewell (FKA National Joint Powers Alliance) | 579920 | MN | 32,625 | Explore |
Fig. 1 Data from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView platform. Data accessed October 2025.
Which GPO has the greatest number of staffed beds?
Vizient has the greatest number of staffed beds with more than 468,000. It alone represents nearly 29% of all beds, highlighting its dominant position in hospital purchasing. Premier Inc comes in second with over 333,000 staffed beds, followed by Cardinal Health with over 183,000 staffed beds. Across the top 10 GPOs, there are 1.6 million total staffed beds and an average of 163,000 staffed beds.
Unlock opportunities with data on GPOs
This data highlights the scale, structure, and specialization of the nation’s largest GPOs, revealing clear pathways for vendors to identify the right partners, prioritize their outreach, and tailor their go-to-market strategies.
Understand GPO affiliations
Understanding GPO affiliation and bed coverage data gives medtech, consumables, and hospital supply vendors a clearer view of where purchasing power and opportunity lie across U.S. healthcare. The market is highly concentrated, with Vizient and Premier together representing more than 60% of hospital beds in this dataset. Establishing partnerships or contracts with these top-tier GPOs can immediately expand access and accelerate growth, while mapping existing customers’ affiliations helps identify overlap and untapped potential within each vendor’s current footprint.
Segment by GPO type
Different types of GPOs serve distinct vendor strategies. Large, acute-care GPOs like Vizient, Premier, and HealthTrust are ideal for medtech companies offering capital equipment or technologies that require long-term adoption. Distributor-backed GPOs such as Cardinal Health, McKesson, and Cencora are better aligned for high-volume consumables and supply chain optimization. Smaller or specialized GPOs, including Acurity, Sourcewell, and the Children’s Hospital Association, can provide flexible contracting and faster entry for niche or innovative products.
Strategize based on GPO size
While bed count signals purchasing influence, scale isn’t everything. Smaller and mid-sized GPOs may offer more agility, shorter contracting cycles, and a greater willingness to pilot new products.
Healthcare consolidation and GPOs
The recent trend of increased consolidation among healthcare providers and organizations also impacts the GPO market. There is a growing trend of GPOs targeting acquisitions in specialty healthcare areas, including specialty pharma. In 2024, Cardinal Health acquired Specialty Networks, a multi-specialty group purchasing and practice enhancement organization, for $1.2 billion. There have also been some strategic divestitures. In 2023, Premier Inc. sold its non-GPO business to Omnia Partners in an $800 million deal to focus more on its core healthcare business.
Learn more
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